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Pretty much as the thread title.
My old, shitty, knackered Seat Altea XL is ready for the chop. It's buggered and to fix pretty much anything that's wrong with it would exceed the value of the car. It really is that bad. We Buy Any Car will be having their strapline tested.
So, on the new car side...
I've got £4k to spend. The kids are old enough now that we don't need to travel everywhere kitted out for every eventuality. But I still need a five seater as I'm constantly ferrying them and their mates around the place. I hardly do any miles as I WFH a lot.
Requirements are:
5 seat, 5 door.
Reliable with no known faults/baggage.
Not French or a Seat - rotten electrics.
Hatchback.
Needs to have Thule bars and bike carrier attachable.
I'd sooner not have any major jobs (cam belt etc) due imminently.
So I'm basically after a bog standard petrol hatchback with a decent reputation that's not a complete piece of shit. I was thinking Ford Fiesta.
Recommendations, please.
Our 62 plate Hyundai i30 1.4 petrol has been boringly reliable with nothing done other than consumables in the 10 years we've had it. The only annoyances are the petrol tank is a bit small (~300 mile range) and rear pillars would make reversing awkward without a camera.
The idea that all French cars have dodgy electrics is decades out of date. I can't believe how many people cling onto it.
The idea that all French cars have dodgy electrics is decades out of date. I can't believe how many people cling onto it.
The two we have had in the last 15 years had rotten electrics and that is what killed those cars. That is why I'm ruling them out.
Skoda roomster, scout version with the roof rails.
Great car, versatile etc.
There must be some for sale at the £4k price point somewhere?
Hyundai i30 isn't a bad shout - the 1.0 is a bit gutless, other engines are pretty good and reliable
Skoda Roomster is the best car we never bought. Once you are inside it you can't see it, but the one we test drove (1.2Tsi) was lively enough, comfortable, and we are on our 4th and 5th Skodas now, so no issues with reliability. The only reason we didn't buy it was because we went for a Fabia, the Roomster was only a few inches shorter than our Octavia.
I keep looking at Suzuki SX4's with a similar brief in mind... Not exciting, but about half the price of a VAG equivalent...
£4k would get you a very tidy one!
The petrol versions have Suzuki's own engine (diesels were Fiat Multijets) straight out of the Suzuki Swift and seem to go on forever...
In the recommended what you know camp, we've owned a 2015 Kia Rio with the 1.25 people engine for 6/7 years that's been fantastic. Reliable, cheap to maintain (tax and servicing) and good mpg. You'd get a good one for £4k. If you need something bigger the Ceed. Think they run the same platform as the Hyundai i30.
Anything VAG I'd go Skoda.
In the time honoured fashion of recommending what you have - a post 2013 Mazda 3, but importantly petrol NOT diesel & ideally the 2.0l which doesn't have any turbo but still has enough grunt for 5 passengers
Recommend what you own: Skoda Citigo - perhaps a little small if you regularly ferry 5 adults about, but perfect runabout for our family of 4. Perfectly nice inside, will sit at 70mph with no drama, and if we're careful we can get 75mpg out of it.
Honda Jazz gotta be a stronger candidate than a fiesta if you want reliability?
Or Toyota Corolla/ Auris?
We have had a 2012 Kia Venga in the family since new and it's been great. The 1.4 petrol. You'd get a great one at that price point.
I would go with a 1.6 Ford Focus. Common so you will have a wide choice and they are easy to work on. Two years ago I found my son a 2005 plate Mk2 with 50k mileage for £2k. It has been reliable and we have done the servicing ourselves. Your budget should get you a newer model.
I've been in the same position this weekend and am about to bin a Mondeo , I bought an Octavia because it was unfussy, will be reliable and roomy enough for teenagers in the back without being a barge. Focus was also on the list as was another Mondeo
Honda Civic at whatever age / mileage 4K buys you ?
If you don't want seat because of electrics...
You also don't want VW and Skoda?
Deeply unfashionable Suzuki? S-cross or Baleno.
Skoda roomsters are great cars, we have the 1.6 petrol, it’s like a slightly smaller, more car-like and nicer to drive, berlingo. Often driven by oaps and you can get bikes in the back by removing the rear seats which just unclip. Weak point is the electric windows can be temperamental (supposedly a skoda thing) and there were some issues with doors rusting if drain holes weren’t kept clear of rubbish.
Kia Venga/Hyundai ix20
Surprisingly roomy, I can stand a L-size road bike up vertically, front wheel out (rear wheel sits down in the cleverly-stepped boot floor flap
Any other Kia/Hyundai ^^
My only slight problem is that the petrol versions aren't so great on fuel IME
I'm erring very much towards the i30, so thanks for the suggestions.
I'll write down the ones I like and have a look when it is time.
I'll need to write them down as I have no interest in cars beyond wanting a reliable one that fits my requirements! The help on here has been great as I just thought "Fiesta" when I was confronted with the need to think about it.
👍
Nissan Note
Our Honda Jazz was endlessly reliable. Only did discs/pads/tyres in 6 years / 45k miles of ownership. (It left us at 15 years old as we needed a bigger car)
Find a Yeti